The Dangers of Tomorrow
by RexRock
Summary: [STORY COMPLETE!] Following on a year after the events of Sacred Destinies, Baron Praxis sends the Krimzon Guard force to attempt to storm the Metal Head nest... for better or worse? (Please R&R!)
1. The Preparation

-AUTHOR'S NOTES-

First of all, I would like to thank you for taking a read into Sacred Destinies, whether it's here, at DA, or at Fanart Central. I am overwhelmed with the response achieved from it, and again I thank you for your support over it.

Somehow or other, I felt a bit worried when I came towards a file showing the Loudspeaker script for Jak II over at GameFAQs in recent times, which basically showed all the lines that Baron Praxis spoke within the speakers alone. One of which shocked me for a brief moment –

"As you all know, I was wounded during our last attack on the Metal Head Nest many years ago."

I was lucky to not get any criticism because of that, so bearing that in mind a fair amount of my time has been spent on writing up a fic to accompany my successful first-person perspective and try to portray my view on what happened in the Nest itself. You may notice the perspective is changed to third person, and that's mainly due to exploring two areas within this fic – the Baron and his raid on the Nest, and the beginning of the romantic relationship between Torn and Ashelin. Another thing to notice is that it's a three-part story, to help break down the tale. Also note that this fic takes place seven years before the events of Jak II, just to let you know.

Anyhow, happy reading for now.

Peace out,

-Rexy-

---

It had been 18 hours and 396 days, since Haven City faced a serious amount of damage. The walls of the East of the town were knocked down, and even now they were only partially repaired. Only a matter of time could be shown until the part of the city could surely crumble.

One of the biggest aspects of damage inflicted upon the town came near the center, around the palace, where the previous King and Queen ruled over the city, and once made sure that the civilization was in perfect order.

-FANFICTION.NET PRESENTS-

But everything suddenly had to come to a standstill. The creatures that were the Metal Heads stormed their way through the front door and managed to attack their way through towards the family, knowing that they could be pummeled down in an instant.

And since that scenario, no one ever heard from the relations again, or what happened to their young heir to the throne. But as the civilians knew it, life had to move on and look onto a new era being brought upon the city.

-A fanfic by RexRock-

After much controversy, a little-known figure from the Mall section and his young daughter came towards the palace, and fought their way for their rights towards the city's hopes and destinies, willing to keep it strong within their troubled time.

Enter Baron Praxis: Not an ounce of royal blood within his body, and not even close enough as a relation to the past king, but he had the spirit of a wise man and the heart of a horse to be able to guide the city towards a safer future.

-THE DANGERS OF TOMORROW-

Time soon passed, and indeed, the city did manage to make its change. No longer did it have a more defensive soul, but a more strength-based atmosphere brought around it. Most of the noble citizens were trained to block themselves from the Metal Heads outside the city walls, and most of the time they managed to block them from breaking through to the city.

Yet, fighting off the main grunts could not exactly be enough, as they knew that for every Metal Head that was brought down, there would always come one more, and another one if need be, from a Nest located far away from the city scenery.

---

During this time of change, the king's knights were built from the ground up once again, forming a more fearful team to help block the Metal Heads from sight. Their shiny red armor and metallic striped tattoos on their faces soon allowed them to be dubbed the "Krimzon Guard".

The Captain of the Guard was lead by Crista Tasai, a former nurse that saved the Baron from his fall against the Metal Heads shortly before he signed up for the ruling post. Over time, her faith for him has remained stronger than ever, from the warm through to the cold.

She and the stronger guards were able to come face to face with the Baron himself through meetings in the Chapel areas of the palace. One day in particular showed them surrounding him, their backs being brought upon the rain currently washing down the windows.

"My friends, accomplices, and other citizens," Praxis started, "I have come forward to make a private announcement. After seeing this city being clawed away at for the past few decades, I have decided to make a stand against this."

As he spoke, the guards looked upon one another, curious about his next move. The looks on his half-metallic face showed a high amount of confidence that even the Metal Head Leader himself could be compared to.

"From this evening onwards, we shall make a strike upon the Metal Head nest", he continued with his fists clutching tighter. "We have seen how the past king of the city failed to stand up to this threat, and the kings before it."

Most of the guards gave out their nods of agreement, instantly thinking of the truth about the previous leaders of the city being more protective about the city more than getting rid of the cause of their fears. But within the crowd, one of which in particular had widened eyes, curious about the whole ordeal.

"We can not let this continue any longer! We must fight this threat back!" the Baron exclaimed while speaking. "Who's with me on this one?"

The worried guard brought up a hand in the air. Crista herself, a blonde female with deep emerald eyes, tight blue and muddy green clothing, and a deep red sash around her chest, looked on at the young guard himself - he had ginger hair that spiked behind his head, brown eyes to match with the colors of rusted Precursor metal, and a racing mask that stayed attached to the top of his head.

"What is it this time, Erol?" she asked him.

"You seen what they did to your face this time last year, your highness! Isn't this getting a bit risky, not only for your health but for the rest of the city?"

The Baron gave out a light chuckle. "That's where the term 'sacrifice' comes in! If we don't fight back, how can we cope in the future?"

Erol twitched his eyes to the left, and then to the right. In both directions, he managed to see a lot of other guards just like himself, only this time they were scowling at his more pessimistic nature. He brought his head through to Crista, whom just ignored him and walked her way in front of the others.

"Any other questions out there?"

Silence was brought among the chapel, with only the sound of the rain being brought to their ears. The quiet essences were soon broken as Crista brought her footsteps towards Praxis with a more determined approach shown on every pace.

"That's good", she smiled at the others. "The storming shall proceed as planned. Meet us at South Town at 6 o' clock sharp. Be late by a second, and you know what will happen to you. Guard dismissed!"

The guards then smiled at one another, and shook hands among other friendly greetings before they all started to leave the chapel one by one. Within the process, Erol was left as the last one to leave, with his expression showing more fear than before.

He turned towards Crista, whom just brought out her hands into a "get outta here" gesture, leaving him to walk his way towards the lifts to take him back to the city streets below. Five seconds of silence came by, and it was soon broken by a light footstep from her, her looks changing from eagerness to deep concern as she turned back towards the Baron.

"Are you sure this plan of yours is going to work?" she asked him. "Even I still have a few doubts upon your safety."

"Come to think about it Crista, I do have a few thoughts upon my daughter Ashelin. Within my past, every time I have walked out my home, I worry about someone breaking in and attacking her." He gave out a long, shaky sigh. "We should find her a guardian during this time."

"A guardian?"

She gave out a light blink, and thought carefully about some of the guards. Even through her time she saw some of which that behaved well enough to reach high ranks, and those that misbehaved that badly they needed to physically take a Dark Eco pellet down their neck for punishment. She smiled, and looked on at the window with a devious glance.

"Come to think of it, I may have a few ideas in mind", she spoke in a deep tone. "I'll speak to some other members of the Guard about this."

She turned away from the window and faced the Baron for one last time, patting his hand against one of his armor-clad shoulders. He herself looked on at her, and her more determined nature, up until when she started to walk her way out of the room and towards the lifts herself.

She's got a lot of thought for a former nurse, he thought quietly to himself. As soon as the sound of the lift became faint, he turned back towards the city streets, and saw the late morning rain wash down upon the city. But no matter what kind of weather the city was facing, he knew that he had to face the more traumatic thought upon his mind - did he make the right choice?

---

Several hours passed, and the rains suddenly started to become lighter into nothing more than a few smaller drops splashing upon the ground. The streets themselves were filled with puddles, from the smoother surfaces of the tarmac surrounding the palace to the more mud-clotted areas of the Slums to the East.

Above the sky, a red hovering vehicle started to descend its way down towards the horizon, with one of the many Krimzon Guard logos showing upon the side of it. As soon as it descended itself below the tall houses surrounding the palace, the doors for said building opened up in an instant.

From the darkness of the building's hallways, Praxis emerged his way into the puddle-filled streets wearing a red plastic raincoat over his usual thick navy tunic, with Crista following him every step of the way. As soon as he was about to take the steps down towards the main street level, a young girl with ginger dreadlocks in her hair and a blue long sleeved sweatshirt came near him from inside.

"Dad, please, I don't want you to leave without me this time!" she cried out towards him.

"But it's dangerous out there, Ashelin! I don't want you getting hurt!"

"Likewise for you", she responded in a huff. "You tried so hard to protect me before you became ruler of this city, and now it's my turn to protect you back!"

The Baron came to a halt - he thought carefully about his head injuries inflicted from a year earlier, when trying to defend the Mall section from the monsters' attacks. During that scenario, Crista looked at him and nodded truthfully towards his direction.

"She has a point", she spoke with a cautious tone. "Could we tag her along anyway?"

"I understand what she is getting at, but not at this stage anyway. She looks too feeble to go out into battle just yet."

Ashelin's eyes widened. "Should I call that an insult or what?"

With a sulk showing upon her puppy-like mouth, she stepped ahead of the Baron and looked upon his more shaky expressions. But no matter how unhappy her face proved to be, he knew that the journey was too dangerous for her. He crouched down towards her, and brought his hands within the cold structures of her hair.

"I'm sorry, but you have to stay here", he whispered to her. "I'll meet you back here as soon as the last Metal Head is wiped clear from existence!"

"But Dad...!"

With a light tear showing on her eye, she jumped up onto Praxis with her legs hanging tight around his neck plate. The force of her body mass left his remaining eye to shrink to the size of a bread crumb, before Crista came to her and brought her back down on both feet.

"Sorry, but you have to do what your father tells you. Still, one of the guard will come over to you shortly to keep you company."

She looked up at them both, and then she realized that there's no way for her to win her argument. All that she could do was look down upon the ground, her feet simmering lightly within the puddles, and her expression showing more tense nerves than before.

"Good luck..." she cried.

She brought her legs around the Baron, whom patted her on the head in response. And as soon as she let go, he and Crista left their way towards the South Town area on foot -a brief ten-minute walk towards one of the more peaceful areas of the city.

During that occasion, Ashelin went back inside and took the lift back up towards the chapel. She looked upon the chilling blue structures around her, thinking about what kind of results the Metal Head storming could bring upon. But... before anything else could happen, the sound of three voices came to her ears.

"But I'm not going in there to face the Baron's daughter!"

"Neither am I - she's too whiny for her own good! I can't even stand a footstep away from her!"

"Geez, if this is how we're going to fight over this, how about we only send one of us in here, while the other two get the day off?"

She gave out a light blink, and made her way towards the hallways once again, looking straight over at the lifts. Three shadows were seen near the closed silver door separating her from them - the two taller ones pointed down at the third shorter figure, leaving it to look on at its comrades shakily.

"What are you pointing at me for?"

"Get in there, you little worm!" exclaimed one of the larger figures.

The doors instantly opened, showing a light cloud of silver smoke showing from the inside. And within the smoke, the smaller figure was pushed out towards the corridors, landing straight on his face and stomach with a painful force.

"And make sure you come out alive, or you'll never be a true Krimzon Cadet!" shouted the second guard.

The doors were closed, and the remaining two guards went back down towards the streets beneath them. During that time, Ashelin came towards him and looked on at his features - he had brown dreadlocks of several different shades, light blue eyes, silver face markings that slightly reassembled a star, and a scruffy set of navy blue uniform.

"You must be my guardian, huh?"

"Pleased to meet you", he said in a breezy voice. "I'm... Torn..."

She brought her head down towards his, and carefully lifted his up towards hers. His face showed a lot of worry upon him, although she had no reason why he acted like that. With a more cautious look, she lifted him up onto both feet, in a delicate state.

All that Torn could do was look on at her with a shocked expression, while she returned a more curious one back. And then, he carefully took her by the hand, and they both walked inside the chapel together, unknowing of what could happen to them both.

---

Over time, the Krimzon Guard force started to show themselves one by one around the flying vehicle, anticipating their chance for them to use the vehicle to reach the Nest. The doors opened up, leaving them to expect an empty carriage.

But in the vehicle itself was nothing more than a stack of cargo - barrels of Dark Eco, the substance that keeps the city running, and a stack of Metal Head trophies were brought upon their very eyes. The very appearance of the items left Praxis to storm his way back towards the streets, his raincoat flapping in the wind force created.

One of the main buildings among South Town was the Hip Hog Heaven Saloon, which in itself started to grow in popularity over the past year. It wasn't long until the Baron made his way underneath the glowing illuminations underneath the bar, and stepped inside the bar himself.

"KREW!!!" he exclaimed with force.

He looked around the bar, and saw more tables packed than before, as well as a few Metal Head trophies being hung upon the walls. The silence of the room left him to make his way around the boxing ring in the middle and up towards the counter.

He looked over him, and saw an obese figure sitting in a wheeled chair. Krew himself had faced a lot of changes over the past twelve months, with his legs finally struggling to walk under the mass of weight being piled onto him. Despite his broad mass, the Baron was able to take a hold onto Krew's flab-filled hands and bring his head towards his face.

"Tell me, what have you done with our Air Train?" he exclaimed while shaking his head. "Another one of your smuggling routes from the Dig again?"

"You know that I can't rely on the boat, ey!" he shakily responded back, maintaining his strong British accent.

All that Praxis could do was growl towards him and push him down to the floor, sending a few purple and golden bottles down to the ground and almost forcing glass in Krew's direction. During that time, Crista stepped her way into the bar and leaned over the counter, her hair pointing down as she did that.

"Listen, tubby" she started. "I want your shipped Metal Head armors removed from there within the next five minutes, or you know that we will report you for your illegal shipments!"

"Look here, young lady!" the bartender growled back at her. "I and my accomplice Sig have managed to provide enough materials to give in a boost towards the Hip Hog's business, and knowing my health problems in recent times, there is no way you're gonna make me, mmmnn?"

All that he could do was growl towards her, with his uneven eyes showing a more threatening gesture than the position of his teeth. During that time, she looked towards the streets of the city, and saw Erol looking on at the scenery.

"Erol, you're up!" she shouted.

He carefully stepped his way towards the bar, and looked at the scenario surrounding him. She looked at him, ready to explain everything towards his emotionless face. And as soon as that happened, he gave out a vile smirk towards him.

A couple of minutes later, Krew's head was being dipped down towards the waters of the Port, leaving him to struggle to gain his breath while struggling to cope with the occasional fish that flew by to bite his cheeks. He then thumped his fists on the walls three times, causing Erol to pull him out of the water like a fresh trout.

"Okay, I'll clear the Air Train for you!" he breezily responded back, trying to regain his breath. "Just expect it to be long - I can barely walk any more!"

"If you want a hand, we'll give you a hand!" smiled the Baron. "I understand how you feel with your legs these days."

He brought himself down onto one knee, and brought his broad hands upon Krew's legs. They were felt to be much shorter than they were last shown, and instantly showed to be of a painful gesture to be displayed on the bartender. He then brought his eyes towards the Baron, curious upon his words.

"You mean it?"

Praxis responded back with a light nod of the head, and it was there that hope suddenly started to show upon Krew's spirit. During that time, two of the guards escorted him onto both feet and brought him towards the train itself.

Several minutes passed, and the train was suddenly wiped clean, with most of the guards helping Krew to transport the Eco and trophies towards the Hip Hog. During that time, Praxis and Crista stood near the entrance to the train, their eyes looking towards the mountainous areas of the South West.

"Would you believe it, Crista?" he confidently spoke towards her. "In a mere few minutes, the plains of the Metal Head nest will be ours to conquer - something that the city hasn't seen in its lifetime."

"Let's go for it!"

She looked on towards the Baron and posed with a confident wink upon her eyes. And then, they walked inside the train together. By then all the Eco and trophies were inside the saloon, leaving most of the Krimzon Guard to board the train... but that left Erol to drag Krew towards the bar.

"Erol, we don't have enough time to help Krew back to the Hip Hog!" she exclaimed. "Get back over here!"

Erol looked on at Crista from his distant position, and back down at Krew, whose face showed an expression filled with need and despair. But in the end, all he could do was drop his grasp around his arms and run his way towards the train.

As soon as he went inside the vehicle, the doors came to a close and the vehicle hovered its way up within the air, before zooming over the city walls towards its next stop - the Metal Head nest. Meanwhile, all that Krew had to do was to use his arms to drag himself towards the saloon, as cautiously as a snail.

And yet, he knew that he ended up exposing his smuggling traits, but for a good cause.

-end of part 1-


	2. The Night of Judgement

-AUTHOR'S NOTES-

Heh, I never thought we'd reach the second part of this fic that fast. Thanks go to those who managed to make it to the first part.

Making our way through to the second of the three (and probably the longest), this one basically shows the story starting to break into two parts – one of which showing the Baron and the Krimzon Guard making their way closer towards the heart of the Metal Head Nest upon their raid there, and the second one showing Torn's time as Ashelin's guardian for the night… and a few unsuspecting ideas starting to emerge from the two. Sig fans can also note that he gets a cameo, should you want him!

Okay, I'll stop being silly; enjoy the part. :P

Peace out,

-Rexy-

---

The Air Train for Haven City soon started to gradually head its way in a South East direction, hovering a thousand feet from the ground. Its shadow shows up like an ant upon the ground.

Inside the train itself, most of the Krimzon Guard present were seen looking outside the windows, seeing the view below as the scenery changed from an industrial setting to a more wasteland-type scene.

Near one of the windows, Erol looked towards Crista with a face starting to fill with fear. And with a light smile on her, she placed a hand around his shoulder, bringing his head close towards her chest.

He looked up towards her cautious face, knowing that they could be filled with comfort for most of their journey. By then, his eyes returned to the window, seeing Haven City as nothing more than a metallic lump in the background.

In a far corner of the train carriage itself sat Baron Praxis, his legs being brought up upon the benches running along the walls, his arms being brought behind his head, and his body being brought into a more relaxed position.

And as fate soon suddenly started to bring itself around him, his senses and light breathing suddenly start to become more faint, as his vision slowly sealed into darkness and his ears detected nothing more than silence.

---

Back at the Palace, Ashelin was seen sitting near one of the giant chapel windows looking over the city, her looks starting to show more fear than before. She started to tremble at the sight of the darkening skies surrounding her.

During that time, Torn stepped his way into the room holding onto two glasses filled to the brim with yakow milk. His eyes were brought on towards her position, leaving him to walk cautiously towards her.

As soon as he reached her, he placed both glasses of milk upon the window ledges and edged towards her right shoulder. He placed one of his hands upon her back, leaving her to look towards her left and see his cautious expressions.

"Ashelin?" he spoke in a whisper.

She opened her mouth to try to speak, but… no matter how hard she tried, nothing could come out from her. Instead, all that she could end up doing was starting to shake upon her hands, even more fearful than before.

And all of a sudden, she brought her face down, a light tear starting to come down her face. Torn's expression soon became more sympathetic, leaving him to brush her hair to the back of her head just to see her upset face.

"Ashelin, what's the matter?"

"I just wished that I could have gone to the Metal Head nest with my father", she responded with a shakier tone.

She gave out a light sniff, feeling even more worried than before. That gave Torn time to pick up one of the glasses of milk and bring it to her hands, and as soon as that happened she brought the cup to her face and lightly sipped the contents.

"I know that I'm too young to fight for him and the rest of the Krimzon Guard," she breathily spoke, "but I really need to repay him after what he did to me last year."

"You mean with the Metal Heads breaking down the Eastern walls?" responded Torn in a higher pitch. "The demise of the King before him?"

It took her a while to respond, but she gave out a shaky nod back. The response caused Torn to edge nearer to her, giving her a close embrace around her back and shoulders and bringing her closer towards his chest.

"I understand what you feel, but I'm sure he must have done it for a purpose."

"To tell you the truth," she sighed, "he's being a bit too timid on my part, even through a good amount of my life."

"Why are you saying that?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Ashelin brought herself onto both feet and came closer towards the windows. The whole of the city was seen in front of her, and from her viewpoint she pointed at a region just north of the Slums to the East.

"I've always wanted to look beyond the streets of my original home in the Mall, but I've never been allowed out." Her eyes showed a more upsetting look upon her. "I know that he's cautious about the Metal Heads coming in their unexpected attacks, but that can't stop a girl's rights to having a bit of fun, right?"

She gave out a moody sigh back, her tears gradually starting to reduce from her face. During that time, Torn edged towards her and looked on at the view for himself, giving off a light smile for himself.

"It's okay" smiled Torn. "As long as the Metal Heads aren't leaving their nest for a long while, maybe I can help you by taking you around the city?"

"Are you sure you're doing the right thing?"

She turned towards Torn, expecting a serious look. But… right in front of her showed a devious smile upon him. And without further actions, he took a firm grip around her hand, leaving them to start making their way out of the chapel.

"Come on", he responded with a chuckle. "The city will look great at night, I assure you!"

Ashelin's eyes widened at his actions, but… before anything else could occur, he instantly pulled her out of the chapel and down the Palace corridors, his speed gradually increasing as he ran.

As soon as they reached the lifts, the doors opened up in an instant, leaving them to make their way inside immediately. It then started to head down towards the ground in a flash, leaving her to take a tug upon Torn's clothing while it happened.

"What if my father actually finds out about all this?" she almost squealed. "He'll punish me! I just know it!"

"It's okay – I won't say a thing to anyone in the guard about what happened. Believe in me, Ash."

His smile suddenly turned from a devious smile to a more confident one, leaving Ashelin to look on at her partner with a surprised expression. And as soon as that happened, the lift came to a stop at the ground floor of the building.

They ran even further down the corridors, holding onto one another as they managed to head their way towards the main entrance to the Palace. The doors opened up, and they dashed down the steps to the open-air surroundings.

Following on from there, both youths started to run their way away from the Palace scenery, ready to see what Haven City had on offer. And they both seemed to know for a fact that they would have the time of their lives.

---

"Attention all Krimzon Guard personnel. The Air Train will drop down towards the surfaces of the wastelands 200 feet from the Metal Head nest in five minutes."

The female computer voice upon the speakers inside the vehicle awakened the Baron to a start, leaving his eyes to shift around the train itself. Most of the guards were seen on their full alert, ready for dropping down from the vehicle to the ground below them.

By then, the skies were nothing more than a deep purple color, with no light around the area other than a few faint lamps being brought around that part of the wastelands. Even Crista came prepared, with a flashlight being held within her hand, ready to lighten the way.

And indeed, the five minutes managed to pass, and the Air Train managed to settle its way upon a clearing near a set of cliffs and ruins. The door opened up, and it was there that the Guards started to emerge from their position in their masses.

"That's it, men!" commanded the Baron. "Let's get moving!"

The whole group ran together like live sardines springing free from their can, heading down the pathway in hope of finding a way through towards the Metal Head Nest itself. It was there that courage and determination instantly showed upon the guards' faces.

During their time, they looked towards the walls surrounding the Nest, hoping for a way to try and break into the machine. They passed several ruins, old metallic structures and small streams of dark eco upon their way.

Yet several minutes later, it seemed like there didn't seem to be a direct way towards the Nest. The pathway just felt like it could lead them around in circles, yet the clearing that they started at was nowhere in sight.

"This is taking forever" growled Crista. "There's no way we can be able to find a pathway into the nest from here!"

"Yeah! All we're seeing is walls and more walls!" responded Erol in a sheepish tone. "Do we have to hire a spider to help us get around?"

All that Praxis did was just smiled at the pair. "I have a better idea. Just stand back!"

He brought out a saber-based sword, which in itself glowed a bright green color. And as soon as that happened, he dashed his way towards the nest and slammed the blade through a delicate crack in the walls.

A hole started to break its way in, leaving him to smile and chop even more off to try and break in, but… before it was even big enough to allow the whole of the guard to pass, the sound of pounding, quaking footsteps came towards their ears.

Praxis took a few steps back, only to see that the deteriorating wall started to crumble harsher than before. And from out from the walls came a Metal Head with five pairs of legs, formed like a centipede, and standing 35 feet tall.

"I've never seen jaws this big before!" she exclaimed with panic. "How exactly can we get around this monster?"

"Look at what you got attached to you, woman!" shouted Erol as he rolled his eyes at her.

He pointed down towards her sash around her chest, and she looked towards the bottom tip of it. Hanging there was a small handgun, with a brown color surrounding it. She brought it out and looked upon its structure.

"It's too small and puny in comparison with this thing!"

Erol retaliated with a moody sigh. "Fine, if it makes you feel better I'll aim with you!"

With a growl upon his face, Erol brought his hands towards his belt and pulled out a pistol similar to Crista's. And they both aimed towards the eyes together, firing towards its chest. But all the bullets could do was cause dents in the armor.

"It's not retaliating!" Crista squealed.

"Try and aim towards the eyes!" responded the Baron with a more tense tone.

He pointed up towards the Metal Head's eerie, glowing, banana-yellow eyes, a mystical essence being brought upon their vision. Both Crista and Erol smiled as they aimed their guns up towards separate eyes.

They pulled back the triggers, and the bullets soon made their way towards the creature's eyes, piercing them in an instant. It growled, keeping its eyelids firmly shut during the time, and started to walk backwards, unknowing of where it was going.

"That's it!" cackled Praxis victoriously. "It's slowly backing away from us!"

"Where's it heading?"

The Baron gave out an honest shrug, while at the same time most of the other Guards started to head inside the clearing. They went past the Metal Head, which was just wincing at its wounds, and up a slope inside the walls.

And over time, Erol managed to catch his way up with the others, hiding within the packed armors of the group. Praxis and Crista both followed the pack together, looking even further at the slope ahead of them.

"Steady, men!" she commanded her fellow guards. "Just don't stop moving!"

They soon managed to make their way over a mound in the wall, and towards another clearing. Only this time, there was a giant brick wall surrounding them. While most of the guards stayed put at the sight of them, the Baron managed to make his way through the pack and starting to head cautiously towards the ruins.

With stealth, he started to side step his way along the brick wall, and looked around the other side, to see a pack of smaller Metal Heads of several different formations surrounding the area, guarding their territory.

Praxis blinked at the sight of the clearing. "What kind of establishment is this?"

"I'm not sure, but if there's some way that we can break out from that ambush," Crista responded in an honest tone, "then we can be able to progress further towards the Nest."

Erol suddenly started to quiver. "But we're outnumbered 20 to 1!"

"That's where strength in numbers comes in handy", the Baron growled back.

He brought his eyes towards Erol via a shifty glance, only leaving the young guard to gulp at the sight of his actions. During that time, the smaller Metal Heads started to leer on towards the scene, ready to stand their guard.

And just as they imagined it, Praxis whistled towards the guards, leaving them to start breaking their way around the ruined wall and charging towards the monsters, their weapons out ready to tear their opponents limb from limb.

And tear they did – for every scratch inflicted upon the soldiers, they fought back by shooting a beast down to the ground. The very horrors of the battle left Erol to start shaking with fear, going behind the ruined wall, shaking his fists as he did so.

"I'm not going in there! They're too strong; I can just sense it in their faces!"

"Oh yes you are!" screeched Crista. "If you don't show your input, who knows what can happen?"

She took a hold upon his shoulders, and within a flash she shunted him towards the Metal Heads with such a force. He almost stumbled onto his chest as he ended up zooming close towards one that took the formation of a Venus flytrap.

It brought out its vine-like tentacles, trying to bring him down, but… he soon fought back by bringing out his pistol and shooting the beast in the mouth, leaving it to start retaliating. He also had the time to start pulling off the tentacles one by one, inflicting more damage upon his opponent.

Over time, the monsters started to weaken one by one, until eventually, none of the monsters were able to fight from their positions. Most of the guards came close to one another, satisfied with the result.

"The coast is clear!" sighed Praxis. "Quick, take the spine!"

The Baron brought his finger up towards a distant corner of the clearing, where a giant spine – ribs attached – acted like a spine leading towards a higher part of the cliff. And in an instant, he lead the guards up the spine, in single file.

They were soon halfway up the spine, and it was there that the whole view of the part of the wastelands were brought upon their eyes – to them it looked like part ruined town, part elephant graveyard, and part eco storage.

"You sure this is the right way into the nest?" Crista asked the Baron. "It doesn't look very 'motherly' to me…!"

"We can't exactly take a boat across the dark eco rivers, can't we?"

Crista looked down below, and saw nothing more than pools of Dark Eco surrounding most of the clearing they just left. That soon left her to give off an honest nod before continuing onwards.

They soon managed to reach the top of the spine, where the top of the cliff was brought upon it. They stepped upon the brimstone-based ground, and looked towards the slope leading inside the caverns itself.

"Come to think about it", paused the Baron, "I wonder how Ashelin's coping back in the city?"

"Please, stop worrying too much about her and let's continue with our mission!"

With a slight amount of hesitation, Erol brought his arms around Praxis's right hand and started to force him down the slope, leaving them to uncontrollably run faster as the gradient of the path got steeper, and steeper.

And with a determined look, Crista lead the remaining guard down the slope, which tried their best to keep steady upon the steep path for themselves. For them, they knew that this night could be judgment night for the Metal Heads.

---

Back at Haven City, the skies suddenly became clearer, and a bright full moon was brought upon the sky, shining down upon the waters of South Town, where the gentle waves of the water calmly brought themselves towards the paved banks blocking them from dry land.

And down the path leading from the Industrial section came Torn riding a hoverboard, with Ashelin holding tight upon his back as they went faster down the gentle slopes leading towards their next location.

They soon came to a stop outside a tavern, decorated with neon lights and a mechanical hip hog on the top banister. They looked on at it with wonder, with Torn almost losing his concentration putting his hoverboard away as he did so.

"My dad's told me a lot about this Hip Hog place", blinked Ashelin. "I wonder why though…?"

"We'll see all the wonders about it once we head inside, shall we?"

He looked on at Ashelin and gave off a confident smile, before he escorted her inside the tavern himself. By then her face started to show an unsure look upon her, feeling curious upon what kind of setup the saloon could end up having.

And as soon as they went inside, the scenery of the boxing ring in the middle and the Metal Head trophies on the walls left them to look on at the scene with wonder. But… that was before a voice interrupted them from a far corner.

"Hey, haven't you read the signs?" growled Krew from the bar. "We don't serve alcohol to under-16s!"

"I'm not here for a drink, Krew", responded Torn in a witty tone. "I'm just giving in a bit of a tour for the Baron's daughter."

The bartender gave off a growl for a response, leaving him to continue sitting firm upon his seat. Meanwhile, both youths went towards a nearby corner, where a black, muscular figure padded with Metal Head armors was seen using a toolbox to construct a metallic seat out of silk skins and precursor metal. He brought his eyes to Torn, and gave off a welcome smile.

"Hey, Torn! How's things going for you man?"

"Absolutely fine! Eh…" He brought his focus towards Ashelin. "Ash, this is Sig. He's been working at the Hip Hog for the past year. I don't know what kind of stuff he does for Krew, but it's helped to put the Hip Hog on the map."

"A pleasure to meet you, Sig!" she responded with a light giggle.

He gave off a light smile, leaving Ashelin to bring her hand out towards him and him to bring his lips towards her hand, kissing her gently upon the surface. Soon after that happened, he looked at her directly at the eyes and showed a proud look on his face.

"Say, I've had a lot of thoughts about your father in recent times" smiled Sig. "He's been growing as a strong character for the city."

"I just wish I can do something to help him along his way…"

She brought her head down, her dreadlocks almost covering her face. With a serious look upon his face, Sig brought his hands towards her face, and gently lifted it up towards his level.

"Maybe there's a way that I can provide help after all", responded Sig with confidence. "I'll see if there is some way that I can hire another Air Train to reach the Metal Head nest for you. Then you can try all you can as soon as you get there."

"You really mean it, Sig?"

He gave out a nod back, blinking his eyes casually as that happened. And it was there that he brought out a hovering communication device and started speaking an order down it. While he did that, Ashelin took an excited tug upon Torn's clothing, feeling delighted with the result.

"It's like all my Christmases and Birthdays are gradually pulling together!"

"Hey, hold on, I still need the time to hire the ship first!" shouted Sig. "It may take a while, so get yourselves comfortable."

Ashelin looked on at Sig, whom continued to show a serious expression. And then he got back to putting the order together. During that time, Ashelin turned back to Torn, her expression slowly emptying.

"So, how about I challenge you to a game of Whack-a-Metal-Head?" he asked with a wink.

He pointed over towards a small game in a corner, with a leather mallet connected onto it by a metal chain. They went on towards it together, with Ashelin curious to know how it would work.

Torn placed a coin into the machine, and from out of the holes came several Metal Head puppets of different colors. He started to bash as many as he can, leaving his partner to just look on at his amazing accuracy.

---

The bottom of the slope within the Metal Head Nest region was soon in sight, leaving the Krimzon Guard to feel more easy upon stepping closer towards level ground, Erol most especially as he fell to his stomach as soon as he reached the bottom.

They looked ahead of them, and were greeted by a bright blue dome-like area, with several green-yellow circular shells surrounding the area. The whole area also had purple mist surrounding the floor, making things hard to get around.

Within the group, the Baron managed to step closer towards the dome for himself, looking on at the hazardous structures at a closer perspective. From behind him, Erol came close, showing a more worried look than before.

"Are you sure that you're doing the right thing? This place looks so dangerous and creepy!"

"It's the only chance for freedom for this city," responded Praxis, "so all we can do is to try our best."

From there, he started to step his way into the mist, with the others having no choice but to follow him. They soon reached another slope, where once they arrived at the bottom of it the presence of black smoke at the top left them to come to a stop.

"Look!" Crista gasped. "Up there!"

She pointed up towards the hole, and it was there that something started to stir nearby. A head was lifted up into the air, and that itself had a hazel-yellow mane surrounding it, as well as sharp teeth and an unnatural set of slanted eyes.

It gave out a roar towards the group, leaving them to start taking a few steps back at the very monstrous sight of it. The black smoke around it soon started to die out, leaving its body to show a clearer set of blue-purple flesh and silver armor around it.

"So this must be the leader of the Metal Heads", whispered the Baron.

"I never thought I'd see a creature this haunting since Boy George!" Erol jokily responded back.

Most of the Guards' ears pricked up at the sight of their remark, leaving them to look on at Erol with agitated expressions started to form. He himself showed an innocent look back, showing that all he did was told his side of the truth.

During that time, the monster tried to climb down the slope itself, but the ceiling blocking it from their opponents was too short for it to climb out into. That left the others to try and come closer towards it, without getting hurt by its active front paws.

"And how do you think we can bring this thing down?" Praxis asked Crista.

"The same we did to that other big one before – right in the eyes!" she lightly chuckled. "Come on, Erol!"

With a determined look, she came towards Erol and dragged him towards her side, leaving them to take a tight grasp onto their pistols as they did so. By then, the monster's rage was beyond comprehension.

They aimed at the eyes, and took fire within its slanted eyes. But… all that the bullets could do was just rebound from the surface, leaving both of them to show surprised looks at one another.

"It didn't work?" Erol asked with confusion.

"Of course it didn't work!" she shouted before her voice became a more whisper-based tone. "But… why?"

Erol's face suddenly started to show hesitation, and over time… he just gave out a shrug, leaving Crista to growl at his response. But… then, the beast's mouth started to glow a bright white color.

"Take cover!!!" shouted the Baron.

Within a flash, it brought out a white beam from its mouth, leaving the group to branch onto separate sides of the blast, escaping from harm. The light soon faded out, leaving them to look at where the flare was inflicted.

Within its place, a few yellow round structures were seen showing upon the structure, and it was there that they broke into particles, showing themselves as small scorpion-based Metal Heads, showing sinister expressions upon their faces.

"So that's how the Metal Heads are reproduced…!" said Erol in a queasy voice. "Now that's certainly put me off tonight's dinner!"

"Never mind about that and try and get close to the creature!" Praxis commanded to him.

He pointed towards the Metal Head leader, leaving Erol to start running up the slope towards him, being lucky enough to keep on his feet at all times. He ducked under every swipe from the creature, and ended up falling down the slope and onto both feet at the other side.

"Guards!" Crista shouted at some of the Krimzon Guard near her. "Get down here and we'll outnumber this thing easily!"

She lead most of the guards up with her, leaving them to start heading up in a similar fashion. That left Praxis and some of the others to fight off the scorpions before they could eventually follow them up.

Over time, they all reached the top of the slope, and saw a light slope leading towards a small room. The Metal Head leader itself was connected to the ceiling by a set of vines, hanging over a circular bottomless pit around him.

With determination, the group then surrounded the beast, their weapons out, and ready to inflict damage upon it. And it was there that they knew that a brighter tomorrow could be brought upon them should the monster be slaughtered… or would it?

-end of part 2-


	3. The Moment Everything Changed

-AUTHOR'S NOTES-

Heh. Looks like we're coming close to the end already. I never thought we'd end up this close. XD

Looking on at this, this final part basically shows the crucial final battle against those Metal Heads, and a few little twists in the tale. O.O Believe me, you'll need to keep on your feet if you want to see what happens.  I take my time to say thanks to everyone who managed to read it through no matter how much – whether it be a word, a paragraph, a chapter, or even the whole thing, you did great.

Be sure to enjoy the conclusion. ;)

Peace out,

-Rexy-

---

A mere 25 minutes passed since Sig managed to make the order for a Krimzon Guard air train to land near the docks.  Within the time, both Torn and Ashelin looked onto the waters of the port, waiting patiently for the vehicle to arrive.

And arrive it did – it flew over the Eastern walls, and made its landing upon a dock near the entrance to the Hip Hog.  Both youngsters looked on at the vehicle with delight, and jumped onto the decks together.

From nearby, Sig managed to bring his way outside, looking on at the vehicle.  Already seeing the two youths inside the vehicle, he instantly made to a jump and managed to jump his way inside the vehicle.

The doors were soon closed, leaving it to start hovering its way above the ground once again.  As soon as it reached a high enough height, it started to leave the city in a South West direction, leaving behind a trail of smoke.

Back at the Hip Hog, Krew managed to notice the vehicle, and that left him to try and stand up from his seat and chase after them, but… after a few footsteps, his feet gave way, leaving him to trip up upon the ground.

Instantly being out of breath because of that run, he looked around him.  The seat that Sig was previously working on was still unfinished, leaving him only to bring out one of his ring-packed fists, and slam it upon the ground in rage.

---

A brief hour managed to pass since the departure, and within that time, the ship managed to make its way over towards the plains that the Krimzon Guard started to trail on foot, proven by the Air Train they left behind.

The vehicle itself managed to bring itself down to the ground, parking itself upon the dusty surface in an instant.  The doors opened up, leaving all three of the riders to make their way out into the deathly barrens.

They started to follow a trail of light footprints through the path and around the high walls of the nest.  The horror of the moaning wind, the dark eco flow and the cold air left Ashelin to shake her hands and take cover behind Sig.

   "This place looks empty", she whispered. "Any idea where he is?"

   "There's only one way to find out, and that's to keep walking", Torn responded with a growl in his throat.

Torn continued to walk among the scenery, leaving them to take a lengthy trail around the side of the walls.  Sig managed to follow him, with a staff in one hand and Ashelin's arm being held tightly within another.

They soon reached the crack in the walls caused by the giant centipede-like Metal Head from before.  And as soon as they got there, a light cackle was being heard from a distance – a familiar voice that caused Ashelin's ears to prick up.

   "DAD!!!" she screamed.

   "It's ok, chili peppers" said Sig with confidence. "We can just follow the path towards him! There's no time to waste!"

With a rash response, he and Torn started to rush their way among the pathway, following the footsteps if need be.  Ashelin tried to follow them as fast as she can, but the best she could do was almost trip and slide down almost every hill possible.

While that occurred, the Krimzon Guard and their battle against the Metal Head leader managed to bring itself into full swing.  Most of the guards were seen charging around the beast, trying to shoot various parts of its body to detect a weak spot.

One of the guards in particular ended up shooting the monster upon the tentacles hanging itself upon the ceiling, leaving it to lose its balance slightly.  It ended up swinging one of its giant arms towards the Baron, his eyes showing an eager stance about them.

   "Eat this!"

He sent his blade forward, managing to seep its way through the flesh of the monster's paw.  Both of them remained as still as statues for five seconds, and that was until the Baron pulled out the blade, seeing it instantly covered in green sap.

The monster looked on at its paw, almost wincing in pain at the sight of it.  It brought it back towards the back of his body, still showing enough determination to fight the guard with its remaining limbs.  Speaking of whom, Erol was seen jumping in the air at the sight of the blade attack.

   "Nice launch!" he beamed. "He wouldn't know what hit him!"

   Crista looked back at him and scowled. "Heh, I take you ain't doing much just standing here!"

Erol's face suddenly showed an expression of panic, before he looked on at Crista and her more annoyed stance.  In a split second, she brought out her hands and pulled her partner's gun from his pockets, before forcing it into his hands.

Her actions left Erol to just growl at her with rage on his face.  Following on from there, several moments of silence came between the two of them, before Crista instantly edged closer towards him, her hair looking more frizzy to fit with her anger.

   "Fire your buggered thing, NOW!!!"

Erol gave off a light nod, and aimed his gun towards the Metal Head leader's mane.  He then pulled back the trigger… only to see that his shaking arms caused the shot to miss and pierce a hole through the bottom of Praxis's raincoat.

   "YEOUCH!!!" he exclaimed with a jump. "Not me, aim for the beast's jaw!"

   "Eh…" Erol started to blush. "Sorry sir!"

From behind him, Crista gave him a harsh slap on his neck, leaving him to start panicking as he reloaded his gun.  Following on from there, he started to head around the Metal Head itself, trying to fire as close as he can go.

He caused a dent in his armor plates, a sharp piercing in the flesh on the back of its neck, and its tentacles holding it to the ceiling slowly being cut and weakened.  He was about to fire closer towards the beast's neck, but… that was until he noticed the Baron climbing his way onto the monster's back via its injured arm.

   "Quick, drop from there!" Erol warned him. "I'm about to fire!"

   "Be steady!" shouted Crista from nearby.

With hesitation showing on her face, Crista brought out her arm and brought it tightly around Erol's grasp on his gun. She pulled it down slightly, leaving Erol to send his fire onto a piece of flesh upon the beast's stomach.

It turned around, and instantly lunged itself towards Erol, with slime starting to ooze down its sharp teeth.  All that Erol could do was slowly back away from its monstrous stance, his gun pointing at its face.

   "RRRROAAAAAAAARRR!!!" it screeched harshly towards him.

   "Don't even think about it!" came a voice from behind the beast.

It was there that the Baron jumped onto the top of the Metal Head's forehead, and brought his blade straight through the middle of its skull gem.  It gave off a growl, and backed away from Erol, giving him room to run away from the scene.

During that time, Praxis managed to jump his way off the head as the beast continued to shake with pain.  But… what came unexpected of him, was that the gem managed to glow an eerie white color as soon as he landed on the ground on both feet.

The gem itself managed to reform itself back to its original state, with the beast starting to look relieved and stronger than before.  It brought out its paw, and suddenly started to hack its way towards the Baron, whom instantly jumped out of the way upon first swipe.

   "Guards, get around this thing", he commanded the soldiers. "It's starting to overpower us!"

The rest of the Guard looked on at the scenario, and brought out their weapons before they all started to surround the monster together.  It was there that they knew that they would face a tougher ride than the usual.

Back at the ruined wall near the nest, Sig, Torn and Ashelin were seen continuing to run their way towards the nest itself.  By then, the sound of the gunfire and growls from the beast started to become clearer towards their ears.

They soon managed to zoom past the wall and up the spine leading their way towards the top of the wall.  As soon as they walked on it, they saw that some parts of the bridge started to crumble away under their feet.

   "How far do you think we could be from him?" Ashelin asked Sig.

   "I don't know, but judging by the gradient of the slope ahead of us we can be pretty close."

He pointed towards the top of the spine bridge, leaving them to run their way towards the mound.  They looked down, and saw a steep slope leading their way down towards the heart of the Metal Head nest itself.

   "Be steady, Ash", said Torn in a silent tone. "We can just tell we're almost there."

Torn brought his hand close to Ashelin's arm, and it was by then that her expression started to show a more shaky expression than before.  They went down the slope hand in hand, with Sig following them, being cautious not to fall down the steep gradient.

Back with the monster, it continued to hurl its claws towards the nearest guard member it could reach. And with every swipe, they fought back by a gunfire counterattack.  During that process, Crista jumped up onto the beast's tail, and aimed her handgun towards the back of its head.

   "DIE!!!"

She pulled the trigger, allowing a bright yellow gunshot to bring its way towards a small piece of flesh hanging out at the back of its neck.  The monster growled at the instant, leaving it to start swinging its head in her direction.

She jumped off the tail and pulled the triggers hard enough to try and inflict damage to the inside of the beast's mouth, leaving it to start moaning at the sight.  She couldn't help but give off a light giggle at the action.

During that time, the Baron managed to climb his way onto the beast's head, and took a hold of its mane, but before he could cut it down the beast hovered its way up and tried to shake him off. That was before Erol came nearby and shot the tip of its tail, leaving it to start shaking once more.

   "Nice shooting!" smiled Praxis from his position. "Now how about you send the guards to help me down?"

Erol looked at Crista, whom showed a confident expression upon her.  She then gave out a whistle, leaving the guards to form a light pyramid under the Baron.  From there, he dropped down safely, lucky not to harm the guards as he ran his way down towards the ground level.

During that time, Crista looked on at the beast with a more confident look, and as soon as she felt the time was right, she dashed her way up the beast's back.  From near her, Erol started to show concern for her.

   "Careful, Crista!" he shouted with panic. "You can only get yourself hurt from here!"

   "I can tell the mouth's his weak spot – he's almost gone for sure!"

She gave off an honest smile, aiming her gun towards the mouth of the beast.  She tried to fire, but… there was no bullets left in her gun.  That left her to start hesitating as she tried to reload her gun, but…

   "Look out!!!" the Baron shouted with warning.

The sound of the shout caused her to look on at the beast's mouth, which started to growl a light blue color.  She instantly screamed at the very sight of its actions.  And then, it sent out a beam, launching it straight towards her.

She jumped out of the way, leaving the beam to inflict damage upon the monster itself. She tried to land upon the beast itself, but… it swerved to the side, leaving her to start falling further down than once thought.

She gave off a flip in the air, allowing her to see what was brought underneath her.  And then, she started to fall down the bottomless pit underneath the monster, but… that was until she brought out her hands to try and hold onto its walls.

   "CRISTA!!!" Erol gasped.

The sight of her action left Erol to try and crawl under the beast and reach towards the bottomless pit.  And it was there that he saw Crista struggling to hold onto the walls. She tried to pull herself out, but by then her strength was dying out.

The edge of the walls soon crumbled away, leaving her to slide down by two meters.  Erol tried to bring himself closer towards her, but his grasp was too short to be able to reach her. By that time, the Baron managed to notice his actions.

   "Let me get in and reach for her!" he ordered.

   "No, don't!" Erol responded back with a shakier tone. "You'll only get yourself trapped!"

It was too late – Praxis dashed to the scene and tried to bring himself as close as she can to Crista, but… by that time, a bright purple energy source started to form itself upon its mouth.  It then launched itself straight at the bottomless pit, causing a bright light to engulf itself around the three guards.

The light soon faded out, seeing the results as thus – Erol managed to roll out of the way, looking almost breathless at the sight of the attack.  The walls at the pit were decayed, leaving Crista's screams to echo as she fell to an instant demise.  And as for the Baron, he was being towed into the air, a bubble filled with black energy surrounding him and draining all matter of consciousness from his mind.

   "I finally have your soul under my control", said the Metal Head leader with a bitter, deep and icy tone. "Be sure to be inflicted with the pain…!"

The monster growled deeper than before, and it was there that several energy shocks managed to make their way towards Praxis's body, leaving his senses to slowly die down to a more soulless state.

During that time, several black shadows made their way towards the room, looking on at the scene.  One of the smaller ones started to show a sign of shock, and managed to take a step back at the horrific sight.

Back down on the surface, Erol looked on at the draining from his position on the ground, the light effects from the black orb reflecting upon his wood brown eyes.  It wasn't long until his facial expression started to become more fearful than the usual.

   "Oh great, what's a trainee guard gonna do at a time like this? Eh…" He shook his hands with fear, before running towards the soldiers. "Guards! Help our Baron out of this mess!"

The rest of the Krimzon Guard looked on at Erol, and knowing about the sudden loss of Crista, they followed Erol's orders and started to surround the beast, with their weapons out, set to aim straight towards the monster.

They then started to fire all at once, trying to penetrate the beast's armor and flesh, but it seemed to be no use – with every shot fired, the beast brought down one of its tentacles and brought them down.  But… the three shadows that showed themselves at the entrance to the cavern started to come closer.

   "Look out!!!" one of the Guards warned the others.

One of the smaller shadows started to take a step back, before it was brought into a running stance, holding something within its small hands. It then brought back its arm, and hurled something straight at the Metal Head leader.

It soon showed itself into the light, forming itself as a massacre of rocks and pebbles heading straight for the beast's eyes. Some of which struck the black orb surrounding the Baron, but the others managed to continue their way towards their prime target.

And strike they did, right in the beast's eyes.  The dust left behind from the ambush managed to seep straight into the beast's eyes, leaving it to growl with pain at the very touch of them. At that time, the three shadows showed themselves into the light, revealing themselves… as Sig, Torn, and the hurler of the stones – Ashelin.

   "My eyes…!" the monster screeched. "My eyes, they're stinging! I can't cope with this pain any longer!"

   "Hah!" Torn laughed with a successful tone. "Well done Ash! You owned him real good!"

Ashelin showed a light smile upon her face, only to see it being wiped clean from her face as she turned back towards the monster, its stable nature starting to deteriorate.  Eventually, the beam that took a grasp upon the black orb surrounding Praxis deteriorated, leaving his body to fall to the floor.

   "You can tell that this pain won't be around for long", the monster scowled upon its opponents. "We'll meet again…"

It growled towards their opponents, and it was there that a purple mass of energy started to surround it.  They soon covered the whole of the monster, leaving it to disappear within the smoke.

The sight of the action left Erol stunned at the sight.  He then ran towards the original site of the monster, a few feet away from the bottomless pit, and continued to look upon the scene with a pair of widened eyes.

   "He just… vanished?"

   "Least you managed to try your best, and that's all that matters", smiled Torn.

   "What do you mean?" Erol responded with his eyes widening. "We came here to exterminate the source of the rise in the Metal Head population, and THIS happens?!?"

His expression soon turned to anger, and it wasn't long until he turned towards Torn, his fists starting to shake.  He then reached him, picked him up by his shirt, and brought his face towards his, his eyes pulsing from brown to red.

   "I don't understand what your problem is, but we've faced a real nervous breakdown before you arrived", he shouted with his tone becoming more bitter as time went on. "We've lost the Krimzon Guard's captain, and we could have almost lost Baron Praxis too if it wasn't for your… your…"

He came to a pause, trying to find the right word to finish off his sentence.  But… during that time, his expression suddenly changed into sorrow and pity. He released the grasp from Torn's shirt, leaving him to fall to the floor.

   "I know how it feels like, sir", said Ashelin in a sympathetic voice.  "I can understand that my father has had a close bond with the captain, and seeing her gone can probably result in a serious deterioration of the guard."

   "Come to think of it, how can we fight onwards from here?" he asked her.

Erol gave out a light sigh, and started to cautiously walk around the area, his mind showing a more upset stance around him. During that time, Sig managed to climb down, and place his hand upon his shoulder.

   "Maybe a new captain could be in order", he said with a soothing expression. "I would have thought that this would be a bit dreary to think of, but it has to be required if you want to eliminate the Metal Heads, for captain Crista Tasai, and everyone else who has been fed to Metal Heads big and small."

   Erol then looked up towards Sig with a smile. "You're right.  I know how shaky I am, but I can sense that she's taught me a lot of things.  Maybe I should stand up there and show the guards what they are."

He looked on at Sig, and he gave off an honest smile.  And then he turned to the guards, all of which showing a mixture of panicked expressions and hopeless looks around their faces.  One of the guards managed to step forward, showing a more worried expression than the others.

   "But you can barely aim a gun without her help!"

   Erol forced a devious smile. "I don't need guns for guard patrol, do I?"

The guard looked on at the others, and saw the reactions to its fellow comrades.  Most of which ended up giving out shrugs towards him, while the others remained silent.  During that time, Sig managed to reach Praxis's level and carry his body over his shoulder, the light breathing being graced down Sig's back showing that there's still life in him.

   "You know what this means, cherries – back to the city, and it looks like we have a lot of explaining to do."

They all looked at Sig and his determined expressions, and understood what he got across to them.  They then started to make their walk back the way they came, on a dark and treacherous route back towards the Air Trains they started at.

By then, the skies were almost pitch black, making seeing the path ahead of them very difficult.  All that they could rely on was a combination of the light from Sig's staff-like weapon – a Peacemaker – and from a small torch tucked away in Erol's clothing.

Twenty-seven minutes later, they managed to reach the Air Trains, and that was where the group disbanded into the separate ones.  Sig, still taking a hold onto the Baron, came onto one with Torn and Ashelin, and Erol brought the rest of the Krimzon Guard onto another.  From there, both trains left the nest, glad to see that the failed ordeal into the storming of the nest was over.

---

Several days managed to pass, and the weather around the city seemed to get better, but not fully.  There was a cloudless sky being shown through the Palace's windows, yet outside the exterior temperature felt colder than the usual.

During that time, Ashelin was seen walking her way through the palace, her face showing a more dreary expression.  The events of the storming left her worried for what would happen when/if she next meets the Metal Head leader.

She managed to pass the doors to the chapel room in the palace, which were seen slightly open with a stream of blue light shining down upon the carpet.  As soon as she stepped into the light, a familiar voice spoke from inside the chapel.

   "Ashelin, come here – I'd like to talk to you."

She blinked, and looked on inside the chapel, and it was there that she saw her father standing near the windows.  He looked like he was fully recovered from the battle, give or take a bandage being brought around his right hand and a pair of casts surrounding his feet.

She took a step into the chapel, the long carpet trail leading towards the windows showing themselves to be more distant than once thought.  She soon reached the Baron, and came to a stop a few inches away from him.

   "Ash, I'm sorry if I underestimated you to begin with", he started with a sympathetic tone. "I just felt worried for your safety."

   "There was no need to be.  I could just tell that you needed a bit of help."

The innocent voice from her mouth caused the Baron to turn around to face her, and it was there that he looked onto a confident young expression upon his daughter.  Her eyes were soon brought onto his feet, and it was there that she crouched down and lightly poked his casts.

   "I must admit, I felt sorry about what the Metal Head leader managed to do to your feet.  Feels sorry that you can't wriggle your toes anymore, eh?"

   Praxis gave out a light shrug. "I'm just happy as long as I can still run."

She brought her head back up, and looked on at her father's remaining optimism.  She gave off a light smile back while she managed to stand back up as firmly as possible, but the sight of the smile left the Baron's face to drop slightly.

   "But in the end, I can tell just how upset I am with the loss of one of my strongest guards in the squadron."

   "You mean Miss Tasai?" she asked with a higher pitch.

   "Yes, Ashelin. I know how much of a loss I faced with Crista, and I was shocked to an extent to see that she managed to save my life last year, yet…" he sighed, "I failed to save her in return."

He looked on at the windows once more, and lightly brought his hands upon the glass panels, his head bringing itself down with a disappointed expression.  From behind him, Ashelin came near him and placed her hand lightly onto his back.

   "It's okay, be happy with what you managed to do with her", she smiled.  "She felt content with her time, and at least that managed to give a real edge towards the team."

   "But what can we do without her?" he asked her.

He brought his focus towards his own daughter, her eyes showing a widened, mysterious glance brought right upon them.  She then gave out a light smile and came closer towards him, her looks starting to show more determination than before.

   "Hey, if there's a way to make up for the loss, I'll be more than set to join the guard myself!"

   The Baron's remaining eye widened at the remark. "Now, Ash, I know what you did to me back in the Metal Head nest, but isn't this getting a bit too far?"

   She lightly jumped on her toes. "Trust me, dad – once the guard grows strong enough to face off against the Metal Head nest again, we'll be able to settle the differences once again, for Crista, for mom, for…" she paused, "for everyone who got beaten by those creatures."

Those words took a while to get absorbed within the Baron's memory, but he could instantly tell by her surprising looks that she may be able to do some good for the city.  He then sighed lightly and stepped back, maintaining a straight posture.

   "Right, I'll let you win this argument. If you want to join the guard, then there'll be someone waiting outside ready to take you to the Fortress."

   "Yes sir!" she chuckled back.

She saluted straight at her father, and it was there that she rushed towards him and hugged him right upon his chest area. He gave off a light, reassuring smile in return, thinking that he might have done the right thing.

And then, she soon released her grip and started to run down the red carpet panel leading itself out towards the corridors of the palace.  As soon as she disappeared, Praxis's expression soon became a more curious one.

   "Yes sir?" he lightly blinked. "Pfft… she's too young to understand."

And it was there that he turned back towards the window, curious over his decisions.  Although he knew that the guard could end up growing stronger by his method, his urge to reach the Metal Head leader once again suddenly started to grow to a wider extent.

At the same time, Ashelin managed to reach the lifts, and rode them straight down towards the Palace's ground level.  As she descended, she thought carefully about her decisions, wondering about what would happen as soon as she joined the guard.

The lift soon reached the ground level, leaving her to dash her way towards the front door, where the front doors instantly opened up, leaving her to be reunited with a similar face from the previous week.

   "TORN!!!" she screamed.

   "Hi there, Ash. Want me to take you on a tour around the Krimzon Guard entrance procedure?"

He brought out his hand, leaving Ashelin to look on at his greeting with a pair of shaky eyes upon her.  The memories of Torn's actions from the night of the storming came back to her, leaving her to be filled with more confidence than before.

With a gentle smile forming on her, she brought out her hand and took a hold upon his.  They both went their way towards a nearby KG zoomer, which showed itself to be as wide as a manta ray yet with a strong plate of armor around it.

   "Come on", he winked. "We can be sure to go through all this together."

   "Heck, I don't see why not!"

They both boarded the zoomer together, and it was there that the guard that was in possession of the vehicle's cockpit turned its ignition on, leaving it to zoom its way around the palace, before heading its way in the direction of the Eastern bazaar.

As they edged closer towards the fortress themselves, both Torn and Ashelin brought their heads into the air, leaving their dreadlocks to start blowing in the wind. They both gave out confident smiles, knowing that their future could be coming closer and closer.

With the temperature gradually getting warmer as time went on, they knew that they would both end up with a permanent relationship, with thoughts that they'll be able to help one another, as long as they're in the Guard together.

---

Seven years passed, and the scenery around Haven City slowly started to change.  During the time gone by, Krew's health also deteriorated for the worse, leaving him to resort to Sig's "hovering chair" project for the only way to maneuver around the city.  And alongside with that, Ashelin managed to find her way to follow in her father's footsteps as a governor for the city, with Torn continuing to side with her as time went on.

It was then that they saw minutes, or maybe hours before, that Erol was shown as a missing person after crashing his own hover bike into a stack of Dark Eco barrels, Krew faced a painful demise being caught in a bomb explosion far from the city, the Metal Heads broke through the city walls, Baron Praxis tried to fight back against the ordeal but got instantly killed as a result, and the Metal Head leader itself was finally brought down by a renegade cast down upon the city two years before.

By then, the city showed itself as a more peaceful form, with cherry blossoms blowing itself down upon a patch of grass near the Palace.  And it was within there that a furry shadow started to make its way towards the scenery for itself.

It stepped close towards the lawn for itself, and looked upon what was implemented upon there – a small statue of the Baron, with a gold plaque attached onto the bottom of it, revealing how long he managed to live for.

The furry creature came closer towards the statue, and brought out a Celtic cross made out of rose and blossom petals. It placed it near the statue, and looked on at it with a peaceful look upon there.

After five minutes of standing, the creature gave out a light tear, before it turned around and started to make its way away from the patch.  As it went closer into the light, it showed itself as an ottsel – a blonde ottsel, with tiger-like markings upon its face, a wrecked red and silver hat upon its head, and fur that went down its back.

It looked back upon the wreath, and gave off a light smile at it before it continued to make its way back the way it came.  It was there that it knew that whoever approached the Cross would see the small paper tag that was shown right at the bottom of the decoration.

"To our late Baron,

Thank you very much for what you provided for me during your time here.  I would have come back to the city to see you sooner, but alas, time was just too short for us.  You've managed to provide a lot of great things for the city, from the good things to the bad, yet you've managed to stand up as a strong leader during your reign.

May the Precursors guide you as safely as the Krimzon Guard did so during your time.

Yours faithfully,

-Crista Tasai-"

---

"The Dangers of Tomorrow" fanfiction is © Rexy 2004.  The Jak II universe is © Naughty Dog 2003-2004. All rights reserved.


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